Up 87-81 with only a few minutes to play, it felt like the Lakers had their mojo back. But just as they have all year, the defending champs couldn’t close as Dallas ended on a 17-5 to win 98-92 and push the Lakers from worried to dead. L.A.’s final minutes read like a movie script [...]

Just when they were about to make things interesting, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers blew it.

Chicago's Derrick Rose was in MVP mode on Friday scoring a career-high 44 points to lead the Bulls to a 99-82 win over the Atlanta Hawks as Dallas beat the Los Angeles Lakers to leave the two-time defending champions on the ropes.

Since Kobe Bryant became a regular starter for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1998–99, the Lakers have fallen behind 2–0 in five previous playoff series. The Lakers were 4–1 in the third game of those series while Bryant averaged 32.4 points per game. Friday it was a different story as the Lakers fell to the Dallas Mavericks marking the first time the Lakers have trailed 3-0 in a best-of-7 under Phil Jackson.

Dirk Nowitzki finished with 32 points on 12-for-19 shooting from the floor as he notched his 10th straight playoff game with 20 or more points. Nowitzki feasted on Pau Gasol offensively as 27 of his 32 points came while being guarded by Gasol. This is not a huge surprise as Nowitzki is 19-of-25 from the floor for 45 points against Gasol this series.

The Mavericks bench once again outscored the Lakers bench, this time 42-15, led by Jason Terry (23) and Peja Stojakovic (15). Stojakovic contributed 11 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter.

Speaking of the fourth quarter, the Mavericks outscored the Lakers 20-7 in the final five minutes of the game. For the series, the Lakers have now been outscored by a combined 27 points in the fourth quarter.

As mentioned above Bryant has averaged over 32 points per game in Game 3 when trailing 2-0. Friday he had just 17 points, which is tied for his second-lowest output this postseason. Andrew Bynum was the lone bright spot as he led the Lakers with 21 points and 10 rebounds, but finished with just three points in the fourth quarter.

Phil Jackson and the Lakers not only find themselves in a huge hole, but also in very unfamiliar territory. The Elias Sports Bureau tells us that this is the first time in 65 playoff series as a head coach that Jackson has lost the first three games of a postseason series. Game 4 is Sunday in Dallas as the Lakers try to avoid becoming the sixth defending champion in NBA history to get swept in a best-of-7 series (2007 Miami Heat, 1996 Houston Rockets, 1991 Detroit Pistons, 1983 & 1989 Lakers). And in case you were wondering, no NBA team has ever won a series when trailing 3-0 (0-95).

Derrick Rose scored a career-high 44 points (regular season or postseason) to help the Chicago Bulls take a 2-1 series lead over the Atlanta Hawks. He's one of four players in Bulls history with a 40-point playoff game, joining Michael Jordan, Ben Gordon and Flynn Robinson.

Rose was the only Bulls starter in double figures, but Taj Gibson and Kyle Korver each reached double digits off the bench. Chicago's reserves outscored Atlanta's 34-14.

Korver continues to be hot from behind the arc. After making 3-for-4 from three-point range Friday, Korver is 17-for-30 from behind the three-point line this postseason. Of players with a minimum of 30 attempts, Korver's 56.7 three-point FG percentage would be the fifth-highest by a player in a single postseason in NBA history.

Rose struggled in Game 1 when guarded by Jeff Teague, but had no such problem Friday night. Rose scored 17 points in the first quarter, tying a career high, 11 of them while guarded by Teague.

In the Bulls’ Game 1 loss, Rose was 5-for-13 when Teague was defending him.

One of the more impressive aspects of Rose's performance was that he was scoring from everywhere. He scored 12 points in the paint, 12 from three-point range, and 12 from mid-range, adding eight points at the free throw line.

Even more good news for Bulls fans: when an NBA best-of-seven series is tied at 1-1, the Game 3 winner goes on to win the series 76.4 percent of the time (136-42).

This weekend, Husby and I are off to Galveston for the weekend for a little birthday celebration so I’ll leave yall with the Pirates series matchups: Friday, it’s the Wand Man vs lefty Paul Maholm – one of their 1st rounders who actually worked out for them – he came up in 05 and has put [...]Read the full original article...

On the same day Angel Pagan suffered a setback in his rehab from injury, his replacement showed he can be quite stable. Jason Pridie, called up two weeks ago when Pagan went down, hit a 3-run homer in the 6th inning to give the Mets the lead for good in a 6-3 win. The Dodgers [...]

Next one at 9.

Last one of the night. Someone out there create a FanPost if you want to discuss Lakers/Mavs.

And expect a special guest recap sometime later tonight or tomorrow. Looking forward to it myself.

DALLAS (AP) -- Lamar Odom filled in for the suspended Ron Artest as the starting small forward for the Los Angeles Lakers for Game 3 of their second-round series against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.

The MVP delivered an MVP performance, writes Bill Trocchi. Derrick Rose scored a career-high 44 points as the Bulls dumped the Hawks 99-82 to take a 2-1 lead in their East semifinal.

ATLANTA (AP) Derrick Rose shook off the sore ankle and that shocking loss at home. With his team scuffling through the playoffs, he decided it was time to take matters in his own hands.

The two-time defending champs are on the ropes. Dirk Nowitzki scored 32 points as the Mavericks edged the Lakers 98-92 to open up a 3-0 lead in their Western Conference semifinal.

"If you doubt his quickness, or you doubt his ball-handling ability, you just saw it right there." Truer words were never spoken, Hubie Brown. Yikes-a-daisies.

Hiccup-quick crossovers and eventual detonations weren't all Derrick Rose did right in the first half of Game 3 of his Chicago Bulls' Eastern Conference semifinals series against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night. After appearing a step slow due to his nagging left ankle sprain in Games 1 and 2, Rose looked none the worse for wear in the first two periods at Philips Arena, scoring 21 points on 9-for-14 shooting, notching three assists with no turnovers, and generally dominating in a manner befitting the league's Most Valuable Player.

Fresh off a fawning piece by some jerk, Hawks point guard Jeff Teague got off to a fast start as well, hitting his first five shots and finishing the half with a team-leading 13 points on 6-for-9 shooting, one assist and one turnover.

Poor shooting by Teague's mates spurred by solid Bulls defense (the other Hawks were a combined 12-for-31 from the field) and hot shooting by Rose's spurred by not-so-solid Hawks defense (the other Bulls were just a tick under 50 percent at 14-for-30) helped tell the tale, as Chicago took a 56-43 lead into halftime.

International readers ("Int'l read'rs"): If the clip above isn't rocking for you, please feel free to check the cross-and-crush elsewhere.

It was obvious from the living room, the stands, and both benches. The Atlanta Hawks were not prepared to match effort levels with a desperate Chicago Bulls team in Friday's Game 3, and as a result Chicago pulled away for a one-sided win. Hawks coach Larry Drew was forced into calling a timeout less than one minute into his team's home game to try and wake his players up, but the Hawks never responded, and ended up losing by a 99-82 mark. As a result, Chicago has taken back the home court advantage in this series.

Though Atlanta's lack of motivation and dodgy execution helped guide him toward a career-high in points, a springy pair of legs and accurate touch from outside also shepherded Derrick Rose toward 44 needed points for Chicago. The Bulls, ever the constant in this regard, came out and played stifling defense throughout the win, and when paired with Rose's brilliance and Atlanta's apathy, a blowout resulted.

Drew could tell right away that things were off.

"When I called that timeout 47 seconds into the game," the Hawks coach said following his team's loss, "I saw then and there that my team had not made that commitment that we made in Game 1. I knew. I saw an energy level, and that right away I knew we were in trouble. You have to come out and match energy and effort. Forget about Xs and Os."

Chicago's Xs and Os were on point, all night. The team's coaching staff was able to clear the strong side of the court easier in order to aid Rose in finding both clear lanes to the rim, or making it so the Hawks had to over-commit to the lanes he suddenly seemed able to drive into. Because Atlanta's defense was so lax, Rose was able to both get to the rim, or scare Hawks guard Jeff Teague into giving him room on a jumper that just wasn't there in Games 1 and 2. Rose hit for just 20 percent of his three-pointers before Game 3, but he nailed three of six in Friday's win.

Atlanta had no answers offensively either. Luol Deng was an absolute dominant force defensively, chasing around Joe Johnson and then Jamal Crawford (who combined to miss 12 of 19 shots) through screens and around the baseline, and catching up with the two in transition when other Bulls were lost on cross-matches.

Chicago's guards also made life hellish for Al Horford as he received passes in his wheelhouse -- spotted up 18-feet from the basket -- helping and swiping as he unsteadily rose for flat-footed jumpers that he had made with greater statistical regularity than any other big man in the NBA during the regular season.

With those three options gone mute, and Atlanta's transition game taken away by all the Bulls makes on the other end, the Hawks had no choice but to limp to just 82 points despite hitting 47 percent from the field.

Chicago wasn't exactly firing on all cylinders offensively, but it was clear from the start that they were going to have good chances from the field if Atlanta continued to defend as listlessly as they were in the first quarter. The Bulls had several good looks in the first quarter that would not go down; the Hawks failed to ramp up the defense, and the result was a fantastic 125 points per 100 possessions mark for Chicago once the nice looks started falling.

Though the Bulls talked about pushing the pace after Game 2, and insisted on it before Game 3, this was actually a slow-paced game overall (don't listen to the newspapers that tell you otherwise tomorrow) and finished with just 79 possessions. The team just moved the ball with expert precision and Rose had the touch. He absolutely could not be stopped from anywhere on the court.

The MVP had 44 points on 27 shots, with eight made free throws, five rebounds, and seven assists. He had just two turnovers despite dominating the ball for nearly 38 minutes, with a block and a steal. And anytime Rose or his cohorts missed, the team's offensive glass work was good enough to put Atlanta away. The Bulls picked up offensive rebounds on a dominant 42 percent of its chances in that area, a ridiculous number created almost entirely by Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson's combined 15 offensive rebounds.

The Hawks, frankly, seemed comfortable in just standing around and watching. Atlanta wasn't letting Chicago waltz to the basket or beat them badly to open spots, but it was significantly easier for Chicago to get where they wanted in Game 3. Atlanta's coach, for whatever it's worth, seems beside himself at his lack of options in that area.

"There has to be a genuine excitement when playing in front of our home fans." Drew said postgame. "There has to be a self-motivation. When I called that timeout [in the first quarter], I just wanted to make them aware that 'Hey guys, we are not ready to play.' "

Atlanta, as is usually the case in disappointments like this, did not shock with their middling effort. There wasn't any overt laziness or refund-worthy play. The Hawks just seemed happy with letting the game happen, rather than matching Chicago's intensity long enough to try to make an impact that goes beyond merely showing up.

"They play hard," Jamal Crawford pointed out following the loss. "That's how they won 62 games, they compete and they play hard all the time. They don't take rests in the regular season, and they don't take rests in the playoffs."

That's Atlanta's problem. The Hawks treated this game like one of 82, instead of the most important game of their career. Chicago saw its own season flash before its eyes, got desperate, and did what it needed to do.

The Hawks had no such worries, and the team is now forced to win three out of their next four. With two games left to play in Chicago against a Bulls team that has beaten them four out of the six times they've played this season, that's no small task.

And if the Hawks came out with the same attitude we saw on Friday night, they've got no possible chance. Take it from their coach.

Odom Provides More Of An Offensive Threat Than Artest “I haven’t said anything about it,” “You know I’m not going to say anything about that. Why would you even ask?” – “The Zen Master”, addressing the media on who’s going to start for Artest tonight. With the Lakers facing a must-win situation down 0-2 in [...]

A Rose is still a Rose...

Derrick Rose shook off the sore ankle and that shocking loss at home. With his team scuffling through the playoffs, he decided it was time to take matters in his own hands.

Chicago's Derrick Rose was in MVP mode on Friday scoring a career-high 44 points to lead the Bulls to a 99-82 win over the Atlanta Hawks in Game Three of their NBA playoff series at the Philips Arena.

ATLANTA – They say bad habits from the regular season carry over, and apparently that’s true. For instance, just because it’s the playoffs doesn’t mean the Hawks have stopped mailing in games.

In a season full of baffling home blowouts, the Hawks added another to the list in a 99-82 loss to Chicago in Game 3. It was the eighth time this season Atlanta lost at Philips Arena by 15 points or more, falling behind almost immediately as Derrick Rose eviscerated them for 44 points. The Bulls lead the best-of-seven series 2-1 heading into Game 4 on Sunday.

While Rose’s brilliance meant Atlanta was unlikely to win this game no matter what they did, the Hawks felt the lopsided nature of the defeat was more a result of apathy than execution or Xs and Os. Few in the audience disagreed.

The turning point? How about the 49-second mark. Hawks coach Larry Drew called as early a timeout as you’ll ever see after two easy baskets gave the Bulls a 4-0 lead. What set him off was an easy transition lay-up for Rose after a defensive board, a bucket that opened the floodgates on his career-high performance.

“I saw an energy level that, right away, I knew we were in trouble,” said Drew. “When you play an explosive guard like Derrick Rose, you have to make a commitment to getting back and making sure you try to keep him out of the paint. He’s too fast and too explosive.”

“I saw right then and there my team had not made the commitment we made in Game 1. We know he’s so good and explosive that he can get in there. But when I don’t’ see the effort on getting back in transition, not getting there and allowing them to get to the basket without a contest, I knew that we were not committed like we were in Games 1 and 2.”

The only energy in the arena, in fact, came from the Bulls fans chanting “MVP” after most of Rose’s 16 field goals. For the third time this season, the arena had a heavy sprinkling of Bulls fans, adding insult to injury as Atlanta’s “home” crowed cheered its demise.

And it should be noted that Rose foiled the Hawks even when their efforts were up to snuff. The most crucial instance was coming out of a timeout after the Hawks had cut the Bulls’ lead to 11 points early in the fourth quarter. On Chicago’s possession, Atlanta’s Jamal Crawford played great denial defense to eliminate a play the Bulls had diagrammed for Kyle Korver. No matter; Rose improvised and hit a difficult shot on the other side of the floor to end the Atlanta rally.

“That’s frustrating, for sure,” said Crawford. “Plays like that kind of stick the needle in the balloon, because you’re fighting so hard to get back and then he makes an incredible shot.”

There were subplots for Atlanta that were equally disheartening, however. While Rose was having his way on the perimeter, the Hawks were also getting destroyed on the glass. The Bulls had 18 offensive rebounds, nearly matching the Hawks’ total on the defensive glass (25); the board dominance gave Chicago a nine-possession edge.

“They completely beat us up,” said Drew. “My big guys didn’t show up tonight and I told them that at halftime. You have to play this team with energy, you have to match their physicality, you cannot complain to the officials, and you have to be ready to make it a war for 48 minutes. Tonight we did not do that.”

One option for Atlanta to deal with the board disparity is returning Jason Collins to the starting lineup, something Drew said he will consider based on what he finds when he watches the tape. That lineup has its own issues – scoring immediately becomes a concern, especially against the league’s top-ranked defense – but if it can stem the bleeding on the defensive end it might be worth it.

And obviously, having Kirk Hinrich would have helped. With Rose appearing back at full strength after struggling with ankle problems in the first two games, Teague’s general inexperience and his lack of size to contest Rose’s shot became much more glaring shortcomings.

Nonetheless, to a man the Hawks admitted that the greatest remedy is to simply play harder.

“It’s just disheartening to come out and start the game like that,” said Crawford.

It’s a sight the locals have witnessed far too often this year; as was the case with this game, usually right after they’d been sucked in by a recent burst of success. The glass-half-full approach is to say the Hawks weren’t winning this one anyway with Rose going off as he was, so perhaps it’s best to get it out of their system now.

But based on recent history, there’s little assurance the Philips Arena crowd won’t get an encore performance on Sunday.

Everyone firmly believes the New York Giants got a steal with Prince Amukamara in the first round of the NFL Draft, but what about James Brewer in round four?

Read more... Join the Conversation...on Giants 101Read the full original article...

If NFL free agency were to begin, could the New York Giants consider bringing back linebacker Kawika Mitchell?

Read more... Join the Conversation...on Giants 101Read the full original article...

Next one at 7.

Next thread at 8.

After an inexplicable day off right as action had reached dramatic points in the series, playoff games return today as the Bulls and Hawks vie for the lead in their series, tied 1-1. But, we all know the game that has us Suns fans ready to celebrate more than last night's Cinco de Mayo festivities did. The Mavericks can take full command of their series at home against the Lakers, up 2-0 and with the Lakers missing the suspended Ron Artest. One could call Artest's cheap shot on JJ Barea "Horry-esque", but Artest has a long enough rap sheet that his punkish behavior doesn't need to be compared to anyone else's. It stands on its own.

Notes:

If the prospect of Josh Smith on the Suns gives you that special feeling, I suggest you read this. Warning: It might act as a cold shower.

The Lakers and their fans can take solace in the fact that it is possible for a team to come back from losing their first two games at home to win the series and go on to make the Finals. OK, that might not have provided much comfort to Lakers fans, but it sure made me feel good.

Tonight's games:

Bulls at Hawks, 4PM PDT, ESPN. Series tied 1-1.

Lakers at Mavericks, 6:30PM PDT, ESPN. Mavericks lead series 2-0.

Vamos! (Since we had no Cinco de Mayo games, Seis de Mayo will have to do.)

Before the run of “can’t stop, won’t stop” offensive playoff explosions from Dirk Nowitzki this year, 2006 stood as his magnum opus. We can’t forget, despite Dallas falling apart in the Finals, what he did that year. Here was his greatest moment: a 50-point annihilation of Phoenix in a pivotal Game 5 of the Western [...]

Everyone here in Louisville is going Derby crazy (or, actually, the locals are all excited for the Oaks today, since it's the much cheaper, everyman's alternative to the Derby). Me? I don't care. Why watch the fastest two minutes in sports when I can watch the most excruciatingly slow 48 minutes in sports that is playoff basketball? (Just teasing. Kind of.)

Worst of the Night in Pictures:









Nationally Televised Friday Games:
Bulls at Hawks, ESPN, 7pm (Series tied 1-1): So are we going to be seeing Boozer's picture on Chicago area milk cartons any time soon? Or, more appropriately, why haven't we already?

Lakers at Mavericks, ESPN, 9:30pm (Mavs lead series 2-0): I fully expect the Lakers to win this game by 30 points just to screw with my head. Nothing in the NBA goes as we expect it to anymore. After all, Dallas had lost 18 of their last 20 road playoff games... and then go take two straight in LA?


* * *

Nationally Televised Saturday Games:
Thunder at Grizzlies, ESPN, 5pm (Series tied 1-1): I love you, random Associated Press writers:

Call it the ultimate man defense. Grizzlies forward Shane Battier says he was literally boxed in when stuck in an elevator between floors for 25 minutes on his way to practice.

Heat at Celtics, ABC, 8pm (Heat lead series 2-0): Super-duper depressing stat of the day per John Schuhmann: Score of MIA-BOS series when Glen Davis & Joel Anthony are both on floor (47 min): Heat 83, Celtics 52.


* * *

Nationally Televised Sunday Games:
Lakers at Mavericks, ABC, 3:30pm (Mavs lead 2-0 as of Friday morning): Trying to say anything about this game until we see Friday night's game is a waste of time. It'd be like attempting to defend Dirk Nowitzki's fallaway jumper -- it doesn't matter what you do, that thing's going in anyway.

Bulls at Hawks, TNT, 8pm (Series tied 1-1 as of Friday morning): Sebastian Pruiti retweeted this chart of pure, unadulterated pain earlier today: "Check Josh Smith's shot chart in the playoffs."

DraftExpress: Finding a Niche for Brandon Knight

Chicago @ Atlanta, 4 PM Pacific, ESPN. Series tied 1-1.

Western University @ Dallas, 6:30 PM Pacific, ESPN. Dallas leads series 2-0.

 

Conversation starter #1 - Seis de Mayo: Advil o Tylenol o Aleve?

Conversation starter #2 - Goin' to Thunder Valley tonight?

Brett Dawson of the Courier Journal reports: University of Kentucky point guard Brandon Knight will remain in the NBA draft, he announced Friday morning, becoming the fifth one-and-done player in John Calipari’s two seasons as the Wildcats’ coach. Knight said he “strongly considered” returning to UK for his sophomore season but ultimately couldn’t pass on the opportunity [...]

Some interesting analysis here by Ken Berger on the Celtics struggles with the Miami Heat.

What ails Celtics? Don't jump to conclusions - CBSSports.com

The rampaging work of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, of course, will continue to be of utmost concern when the series shifts to Boston for Game 3 on Saturday night. But in reality, the Celtics did as good a job as can be reasonably expected in forcing Wade and LeBron to rely on jump shots. According to HoopData.com, 20 of Wade's 41 field-goal attempts in the first two games came from beyond 15 feet. For James, it was 21 of 44.

Bottom line here is that if James and Wade are going to hit all the midrange shots you give them, you don't have much of a shot.

On the other side of the ball, it would help if our shooters (namely Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce) made some more of the shots that they normally make.

Pierce's problem isn't just ineffectiveness, it's the fact that somehow a player who has spent his entire career carving up opponents with an assortment of deadly mid-range jumpers has attempted only five shots between 10-23 feet in the first two games against Miami; he's 2-for-5.

Berger points out that Pierce took more three pointers (11) than Ray Allen has (10) which isn't the kind of shot distribution we're looking for.

So perhaps the key to game 3 and beyond is hoping that the law of averages evens things out so that the Heat are making fewer midrange shots and the Celtics are making more.

After the break, even more stats!

Round Two After Two: Some Facts You May Not Know - Behind the Basket - The Antidote for Conventional Wisdom

The Celtics’ shooting woes in Miami should not be a surprise to anyone. The C’s shot only 43% in Games One and Two. Although Boston lead the entire NBA with a 49% field goal percentage during the regular season, they’re facing a Heat squad that gave up a league second-best 43% during the year (and league third-best 48% eFG%), and that only surrendered 45% to the Celtics a few weeks ago when Miami spanked them by 23. In the first two weeks of the season when Miami was playing together for the first time (remember that Wade missed the preseason), Boston shot a cumulative 50% in two close wins over the Heat. Those days are long gone.

Ever since "The Decision," the Miami Heat have been pretty much universally disliked outside of Florida. They've been seen as an anti-competitive dream team, arrogant, and generally receiving way too much attention for a group that hadn't actually proven much at all. America likes winners, but they don't like to crown people before they've accomplished anything.

But it's the playoffs now, and the Heat look pretty damn good. With a potential finals berth only weeks away, they're starting to get some bandwagon fans. LeBron James, for one, is very confused. From Kevin Arnovitz for the Heat Index:

"We understand that, as we win games, people will try to crown us," Heat forward LeBron James said. "That's bizarre. We just have to go out there and continue to play our game."

Public sentiment for the Heat has been volatile since James joined forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

But the Heat's pair of convincing wins over the Boston Celtics in the first two games of their Eastern Conference semifinals series has quieted naysayers and has some observers proclaiming Miami title favorites.

"The bandwagon will sway so flagrantly to each side after each game that it's hard to keep track of everything," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Three days of everyone singing your accolades -- if you let it, it will make you soft."

Yeah, it's totally crazy that anyone would crown a team before it's won a championship. What kind of insane person would act like that?

No matter how oblivious they may be, James and Spoelstra are right. The Heat look roughly similar to how they have the whole year -- when James and Wade play well, they can win games against good teams without looking especially cohesive. The point being that they've always had the potential to win the championship, even when they looked their worst. This is the same team that everyone hated in November, except they're winning more games now.

Still, playoff success breeds bandwagon fans, and this outcome was always to be expected if Miami played well in the postseason. America loves a winner. If the Heat win the whole shebang, they won't look so arrogant anymore.

A look around the league and the web that covers it. It's also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren't always listed in order of importance. That's for you, dear reader, to figure out.

C: SB Nation. Mike Prada was as good with this column as Dirk Nowitzki has been during this postseason. And this post on Dirk from Hardwood Hype was just as good.
PF: CNN. Etan Thomas uses personal experience to calmly take issue with Donald Trump's recent bunk.
SF: Alone in the Green Room. The top dunkers of 2010-11. Super fun.
SG: CelticsBlog. Just a reminder that Boston has done this before. It's done everything before.
PG: Peachtree Hoops. Where has Al Horford gone?
6th: Buzzfeed. Extreme H-O-R-S-E, brah. (Via SB Trey Kerby.)
7th: Skeptical Sports Analysis. The case for Dennis Rodman.
9th: Green Street. Danny Ainge on the state of the C's.
10th: Silver Screen and Roll. C.A. Clark wasn't kidding me when he told me there was great stuff at his site Friday. First up is a look at how luck has helped shepherd in some of the wins behind some Laker championships. Second is a look at the unsavory ways Kobe Bryant has ended some of his non-championship seasons.

Got a link or tip for Ball Don't Lie? Holler at me at KD_BDL_ED (at) yahoo.com, or follow me on Twitter.

At this point, seemingly half the NBA is on Twitter. It's a wild world of training updates, questions as to which movies they should go see, and explanations of their Call of Duty prowess. Every so often, though, you also get a picture into the more interesting aspects of NBA life. This feature is your window into that world.

Reggie Evans: If there be a NBA lockout I am going to play my Nintendo.

Roger Mason: I really enjoyed the Alexander McQueen exhibit. He was my favorite designer, and the exhibit was craazy!

Sean May: I need to step my rosetta stone game up

Bostjan Nachbar: Some song remakes come out crappy, but some are fantastic!!! "Smooth Criminal" by Alien Ant Farm is one of them!

Al-Farouq Aminu: Man I might be the realest in the words with friends

You can also follow Eric Freeman on Twitter at @freemaneric.

Experience Trumped Youth In 2010 Who has won the “youth vs. experience” battle in recent NBA Playoffs history?   The table below tries to answer the question.  This table shows the playoff series with the top ten age differences between the two teams. (Since 2006)  A cursory glance at the table says experience won 7 out of 10 times, [...]

Two Future Hall Of Famers Exchanging High-Fives With their win in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, the Mavericks now have a commanding 2-0 lead over the two-time defending champion Lakers. The Mavs won two road games, and now they can win the series even if they only protect their home floor two out of three [...]

Panathinaikos beat Montepaschi Siena 77-69 on Friday and will play Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv in the Euroleague final. The Israeli team downed Real Madrid 82-63 in the other semifinal.

Phil Jackson heard Andrew Bynum talking about "trust" issues, and laughed it off saying he thought Bynum had been talking about "trusses."

And he noted that his dad wore a truss.

I know that word "truss" to mean some kind of structural support, like on a bridge.

Or something you can do with string to prep a chicken for roasting.

All of which concerned me a bit on behalf of Phil Jackson's dad.

But I did some heavy-duty research and discovered that it was once common for men with hernias to wear tight girdles designed to keep their intestines from popping out through the muscle tissue.

So, basically, Jackson's telling us his dad wore spanx.

Which is a huge relief, because it lets me do what every self-respecting NBA writer always wants to do: Connect LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, male girdles, the New York Knicks, original rap music and private jets  in one story.

Behold:

• Kobe Bryant is coached by Phil Jackson.
• Jackson's dad wore a truss.
• A truss is a kind of girdle, essentially the same as spanx.
• Spanx, the company, was founded by Sara Blakely.
• Blakely is married to Jesse Itzler.
• Itzler, oddly, is both the "frat-rapper" who came up with that "Go New York Go New York Go" thing you hear at Knick games and a co-founder of the private jet company Marquis Jet, in which Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is a major investor.
• Itzler has partnered with LeBron James and Maverick Carter on a really hokey "caffeine and vitamins that dissolve in your mouth" energy product.

Call it the ultimate man defense. Grizzlies forward Shane Battier says he was literally boxed in when stuck in an elevator between floors for 25 minutes on his way to practice.

According to the league-mandated pregame information released by the Lakers, Kobe Bryant would replace the suspended Ron Artest at small forward, with Shannon Brown starting at shooting guard for Game 3 of their series against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.

Former Florida guard Nick Calathes scored 17 points to lead Panathinaikos to a 77-69 win over Montepaschi Siena on Friday and give the Greek team a spot in the Euroleague final.

So, um, things are getting a little awkward in here.

I know this is a little old and I just found it, however, UND Fighting Sioux hockey coach Dave Hakstol was on with Chris Botta on April 27th, 2011, Chris runs an independent Islanders blog that has a lot of good information on the New York Islanders. Read the full original article...

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Starting power forward Serge Ibaka returned to practice Friday for the Oklahoma City Thunder and coach Scott Brooks says he will play against Memphis in Game 3 on Saturday.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Call it the ultimate man defense. Grizzlies forward Shane Battier says he was literally boxed in when stuck in an elevator between floors for 25 minutes on his way to practice.

Steve Buckhantz's James Madison student ID